TALKS between the company which is planning a £200 million city-centre development in York and the city’s council bosses are set to be held in the next few weeks.

LaSalle UK Ventures Fund, which owns the Coppergate Centre and is planning to put forward a scheme to transform the neighbouring Castle Piccadilly site, said last week that it was seeking discussions with City of York Council about the future of the scheme, after the Government confirmed it would not call in plans for a community stadium and John Lewis and Marks & Spencer stores at Monks Cross.

Centros, LaSalle’s development manager, claimed the out-of-town development “severely compromises” the Castle Piccadilly scheme because of the amount of trade it will draw away from the centre of York.

The companies have previously said they are in talks with big-name retailers and the project could include an expanded Fenwick store.

Neil Taylor, the council’s interim director of city and environmental services, said talks will be held with LaSalle and Centros in the coming weeks. Council leader James Alexander said he “welcomed a further opportunity” to discuss the “pivotal” site.